Inflight entertainment system that selects among passenger electronic devices for connection based on power measurements

ABSTRACT

An inflight entertainment system for use in an aircraft displays commands to a passenger to move a passenger electronic device (PED) between locations defined relative a seatback display device and the passenger&#39;s seat. The system measures received signal strength indications (RSSIs) from discoverable PEDs over time while the PED is moved between the locations, and selects one of the PEDs that satisfies a defined rule for an amount of change that is observed over time in the measured RSSIs for that PED. The system then establishes a connection through a Bluetooth transceiver with a Bluetooth transceiver of the selected PED.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to inflight entertainment systems for usein aircraft and, more particularly, to establishing communicationconnections between seatback display devices and passenger electronicdevices.

BACKGROUND

In-flight entertainment (IFE) systems have been deployed onboardaircraft to provide entertainment, such as movies, television, audioentertainment programming, electronic games, and other electroniccontent to passengers. IFE systems are increasingly using wirelessaccess points to provide the electronic content from a content server topassenger equipment that is carried on-board (e.g., cellular phones,tablet computers, laptop computers), seat video display units (SVDUs),and other communication terminals within the aircraft. Some IFE systemsprovide wireless controllers, also referred to as passenger controlunits (PCUs), at passenger seats that are wirelessly connected throughBluetooth to the seats' SVDUs, and which can be held by passengers andoperated to control content selection and playback through the SVDUs.IFE systems may also allow passengers to use Bluetooth connectivity totheir electronic devices (e.g., wireless headphones, cellular phoneterminals, laptops, tablet computers, health monitoring devices, otherpassenger wearables, etc.) to control SVDUs. The PCUs, electronicdevices transported by passengers onto the aircraft, and other Bluetoothelectronic devices that can be handheld by passengers during flight andcan be connected via Bluetooth to SVDUs and/or other electronic devicesof a system, are collectively referred to as Passenger ElectronicDevices (PEDs) for convenience.

The proliferation of PEDs operating simultaneously and withunsynchronized use of the unlicensed Industrial, Scientific and Medical(ISM) radio resources within an aircraft cabin, can result insignificant difficulty when attempting to select a desired one of thePEDs for connection to a SVDU or another electronic device. Although theSVDU, for example, may display for a passenger a list Bluetoothidentifiers of PEDs that have discovered through Bluetooth signaling,the identifiers may provide little help to passenger with identifyingwhich PED from among potentially dozens or hundreds of listed PEDsshould be selected for connection to the SVDU. Selecting a wrong PED ora sequence of wrong PEDs can result in failed SVDU operation, present asecurity risk to the SVDU operation, and/or reduce the quality ofservice provided by the IFE system to passengers.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an inflightentertainment system for use in an aircraft that displays commands to apassenger to move a PED between different locations that are definedrelative a SVDU and/or the passenger's seat. The system measuresreceived signal strength indications (RSSIs) from discoverable PEDs overtime while the PED is moved between the locations, and selects one ofthe PEDs that satisfies a defined rule for an amount of change that isobserved over time in the sequence of measured RSSIs for that PED. Thesystem then establishes a connection through a Bluetooth transceiverwith a Bluetooth transceiver of the selected PED.

One example embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to inflightentertainment system for use in an aircraft. The entertainment systemincludes a display device, a Bluetooth transceiver, at least oneprocessor connected to the Bluetooth transceiver and the display device,at least one memory connected to the at least one processor. The atleast one memory stores program code that is executed by the at leastone processor to perform operations.

The operations include displaying a first message on the display devicethat instructs a passenger to move a PED to a first location, andgenerating a list of Bluetooth identifiers of PEDs that are discoveredthrough the Bluetooth transceiver. For each of the Bluetooth identifiersin the list, a first RSSI is generated from measurement of at least oneradio signal received from the PED having the Bluetooth identifier, anda candidate PEDs data structure is updated to comprise a pairedassociation between the Bluetooth identifier and the first RSSI measuredfor the at least one radio signal received from the PED having theBluetooth identifier.

Following the updating of the candidate PEDs data structure, a secondmessage is displayed on the display device instructing the passenger tomove the PED to a second location that is spaced apart from the firstlocation. For each of the Bluetooth identifiers in the list that isstill discoverable through the Bluetooth transceiver, a second RSSI isgenerated from measurement of at least one radio signal received fromthe PED having the Bluetooth identifier, and the candidate PEDs datastructure is updated to further associate the Bluetooth identifier tothe second RSSI measured for the at least one radio signal received fromthe Bluetooth device having the Bluetooth identifier.

One of the Bluetooth identifiers is selected that satisfies a definedrule for an amount of change determined between the first and secondRSSIs that are associated via the candidate PEDs data structure with theone of the Bluetooth identifiers in the list. Responsive to theselection, a connection is established through the Bluetooth transceiverwith a Bluetooth transceiver of the PED having the selected one of theBluetooth identifiers.

Related vehicle entertainment systems for use in a vehicle,entertainment systems that may be used in non-vehicle applications, andelectronic devices are disclosed. Corresponding methods to suchapparatuses are also disclosed. It is intended that all such vehicleentertainment systems, entertainment systems, electronic devices, andcorresponding methods be included within this description, be within thescope of the present inventive subject matter, and be protected by theaccompanying claims. Moreover, it is intended that all embodimentsdisclosed herein can be implemented separately or combined in any wayand/or combination

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features of embodiments will be more readily understood from thefollowing detailed description of specific embodiments thereof when readin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an aircraft cabin containing an in-flightentertainment (IFE) system having a content server that streamselectronic content through wireless access points (WAPs) to passengerequipment and/or through a wired network to seat video display units(SVDUs) that are controlled by wireless controllers, in accordance withsome embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates rows of seats having SVDUs that provide Bluetoothconnectivity to PEDs;

FIG. 3 illustrates a SVDU that selects among discoverable PEDs based onobserved changes in RSSI measurement patterns over time, in accordancewith some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates sequence of views at different six time instances asa SVDU commands movement of a PED between defined spaced apart locationsto cause an expected change in RSSI measurement pattern over the timethat is used to select the PED from among discoverable PEDs, inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is graph of RSSI measurements of Bluetooth Inquiry Messagesreceived from a PED as a function of proximity distances from the PED toa Bluetooth transceiver of a SVDU, and further illustrates variousthresholds that are used to select the PED in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is graph of RSSI measurements of Bluetooth Inquiry Messagesreceived from a PED as a function of lateral offset distance from astrongest gain direction of an antenna directional gain pattern of aBluetooth antenna used by a SVDU, and further illustrates variousthresholds that are used to select the PED in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of operations and methods that can be performed bya processor of a SVDU to select a PED from among discoverable PEDs inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a combined dataflow diagram and flowchart of operations andmethods by a SVDU and a PED to establish a Bluetooth connection throughrespective Bluetooth transceivers in accordance with some embodiments ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a combined dataflow diagram and flowchart of operations andmethods by a SVDU and a PED to establish a Bluetooth connection throughrespective Bluetooth transceivers in accordance with some embodiments ofthe present disclosure; and

FIG. 10 illustrates a SVDU or other electronic device that is configuredto operate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of thepresent disclosure. However, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that the present invention may be practiced without thesespecific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures,components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not toobscure the present invention. It is intended that all embodimentsdisclosed herein can be implemented separately or combined in any wayand/or combination.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to operatinga seat video display unit (SVDU) to more automatically and accuratelyselect a PED from among a group of PEDs that is most likely to beoperated by a passenger who is seated in a seat that is expected tooperate the SVDU, and to facilitate connection of that PED to the SVDUthrough a Bluetooth communication link. For example, some embodimentsare directed to distinguishing between a PED that is operated by apassenger who is seated in a seat facing a SVDU, from other PEDs handledby passengers in adjacent seats or rows of seats. A SVDU operatingaccording to some embodiments can identify one or more PEDs that areoperated by a passenger in the facing seat, and can form a Bluetoothconnection(s) with those PED(s) to allow communication therebetweenthrough Bluetooth signaling.

A present realization of this disclosure is that IFE systems foraircraft environments have defined seat configurations with constantdistances from where a SVDU is located in a seatback surface to therespective ends of the armrests on opposite sides of a passenger seat,and similarly have a constant distance from the SVDU location to an edgeof the passenger seat. These constant distances are used in combinationwith a defined relationship of the fall off in receive signals strengthindicator (RSSI) measured by a Bluetooth transceiver of the SVDU withdistance from a transmitting Bluetooth transceiver of a PED, to select asingle PED from among a list of PEDs that are detected by the Bluetoothtransceiver. The PED is selected based on observing an expected changein RSSI values measured from Bluetooth signaling received from that PEDas it is moved between locations that are defined relative to thepassenger's seat, the SVDU, and/or locations in space therebetween. Asused herein, the term RSSI refers to any measurement of power present ina sensed Bluetooth signal.

These and other embodiments will be explained in further detail below inthe non-limiting context of an In-flight entertainment (IFE) system thatincludes SVDUs which each have a Bluetooth transceiver that isconfigured to communicate with one or more PEDs. As explained above,PCUs, electronic devices transported by passengers onto the aircraft(e.g., cellular phone terminals, wireless headphones, laptops, tabletcomputers, health monitoring devices, other passenger wearables, etc.),and other Bluetooth electronic devices that can be handheld bypassengers during flight and can be connected via Bluetooth to SVDUsand/or to other components of a system, are collectively referred to asPassenger Electronic Devices (PEDs) for convenience.

Each SVDU can be configured to be mechanically connected to a seat framewithin a vehicle, such as within a seat back, an armrest, etc. TheBluetooth transceivers are configured to transmit and receive radiofrequency (RF) signals in the ISM band. Although various embodimentsherein are primarily described in the context of an IFE system deployedonboard an aircraft, the invention is not limited thereto. Instead,these and other related embodiments may be used to control Bluetoothtransceivers located in any type of device and for any type of systemapplication. Various embodiments disclosed herein may be particularlyadvantageous for deployment in environments where a passenger's attemptto identify a correct PED for Bluetooth connection is complicated by apossibly high density of discovered Bluetooth transceiver equipped PEDs.Accordingly, the systems, devices, and methods herein may be used inother types of vehicles, including without limitation, trains,automobiles, cruise ships, and buses, and in other non-vehicleinstallations, including without limitation, meeting rooms, sportsstadiums, etc.

Embodiments are also described in the non-limited context of theBluetooth transceivers being configured to transmit and receive usingradio resources in the ISM band. As used herein, the term “ISM band”refers to one or more frequency ranges that are reserved internationallyfor the use of radio frequency energy for unlicensed and/or licensedcommunications. The term “band” can refer to one continuous frequencyrange or a plurality of non-continuous frequency ranges that are definedby the ITU Radio Regulations for ISM communications.

FIG. 1 illustrates an aircraft cabin 140 containing an IFE system thatprovides entertainment services to passengers. The IFE system caninclude a content server 160 that streams and/or downloads electroniccontent through wired networks (e.g., Ethernet) and/or through wirelessaccess points (WAPs) 150 to SVDUs 110 that may be mounted to structureswithin the aircraft, including to seatbacks, seat armrests/frames,bulkheads, overhead structures, etc. The content server 160 mayadditionally stream and/or download electronic content through WAPs 150to passenger equipment carried on-board by passengers, such as mobilephones, tablet computers, laptop computers, etc. The SVDUs 110 eachcontain a Bluetooth transceiver that wirelessly communicates through ISMband RF signaling with Bluetooth transceivers within various types ofpassenger controllers, which may be releasable docked to an armrestdocket station and/or a docket station connected to or adjacent tosome/all of the SVDUs 110. The SVDUs 110 may additionally communicatewith various types devices that a passenger can bring on board theaircraft, such as wireless headphones and mobile computing devices, suchas cellular phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, and other typesof PEDs. The Bluetooth transceiver within a SVDU 110 is understood to bethe communication circuitry (i.e., transceiver, signal processor, etc.)which can be incorporated within the same housing that at leastpartially encloses a display device, video display circuitry, networkinterface, and other circuitry providing functionality for the SVDU 110.

The SVDUs 110 can be connected to request and receive content from acentral content server through a backbone network 208, such as 1000base-T Ethernet. The PEDs can be operated by a passenger to wirelesslycontrol the SVDU 110 through Bluetooth connections, such as to selectcontent that is consumed from the content server (e.g., played through adisplay device), select among displayed menu items, and control otheroperations of the SVDU 110, and/or to receive content from the SVDU 110such as audio streamed to wireless headphones. Each SVDU 100 may beconfigured to connect to one or more PEDs operated by a passenger who isseated at a seat that is facing the SVDU 100.

FIG. 2 illustrates rows of passenger seats having SVDUs 110 that provideBluetooth connectivity to PEDs, which are illustrated as Bluetoothheadphones 170. Referring to FIG. 2, a SVDU 110A scans for BluetoothInquiry Messages transmitted through the Bluetooth signaling byBluetooth transceivers of PEDs that are discoverable. In the example ofFIG. 2, the SVDU 110A discovers Bluetooth Inquiry Messages transmittedby five different Bluetooth headphones 170, where each of the Bluetoothheadphones 170 transmits a unique Bluetooth identifier. The SVDU 110Amay display, on a display device, a list of the Bluetooth identifiers ofPEDs that are discovered through Bluetooth signaling. However, theidentifiers may provide little help to a passenger who is attempting toidentify the passenger's held PED, such as Bluetooth headphone orcellular phone. Moreover, in a full-capacity boarded aircraftenvironment it can be possible for dozens of PEDs to be discovered. Inthe example of FIG. 2, a single Bluetooth headphone 170A is operated bya passenger who is sitting in a seat that is directly behind and facingthe SVDU 110A. Identifying the Bluetooth headphone 170A from amongpotentially numerous Bluetooth headphones and other PEDs, could bedifficult or not feasible for a passenger to accomplish.

However, embodiments of the present disclosure operate a SVDU 110 tomore automatically and accurately select the Bluetooth headphone 170Afor connection with the SVDU 110 through Bluetooth signaling. FIG. 3illustrates the SVDU 110 that selects among discoverable PEDs based onobserved changes in RSSI measurement patterns over time, in accordancewith some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, the SVDU 110 displays messages on a display devicethat instruct a passenger to move the Bluetooth headphones 172 aplurality of different locations that are defined relative to thepassenger's seat, the SVDU 110, and/or locations in space therebetween.For example, the SVDU 110 can display a message instructing a passengerto place the Bluetooth headphones 170 at an end of the armrest 300, thendisplay another message instructing the passenger to place the Bluetoothheadphones 170 at an end of the seat 310, and then display anothermessage instructing the passenger to place the Bluetooth headphones 170at the end of the other armrest of the seat 310, and then displayanother message instructing the passenger to place headphones 110against the SVDU 110. In this manner, the SVDU 110 causes the passengerto move the Bluetooth headphones 170 to four different defined locationshaving constant relative distances to a Bluetooth transceiver antenna ofthe SVDU 110. In the example of FIG. 3, the Bluetooth headphones 170transmits Bluetooth signaling from a transmitter height 330 from thecabin floor, which is carried through the air interface along afree-space line-of-site 332 for receipt by a Bluetooth transceiverantenna of the SVDU 110, located at a receiver height 332.

The SVDU 110 operates to generate received signal strength indications(RSSI) from measurement of radio signals received from the Bluetoothheadphones 170 while located at each of the defined locations. At eachof the locations, the SVDU 110 can update a candidate PEDs datastructure to add the Bluetooth identifier and the corresponding RSSImeasurement for each of the unique Bluetooth identifiers that arediscovered during the measurement process for that location. In theexample of FIG. 2, the SVDU 110A would discover five unique Bluetoothidentifiers, corresponding to the five different Bluetooth headphones170, and would perform RSSI measurements for each of those Bluetoothidentifiers during each of the time frames when the SVDU 110A isexpecting the passenger to have moved the Bluetooth headphones 170A tothe next location. The SVDU 110 a also updates the candidate PEDs datastructure to include the pairs of Bluetooth identifiers and thecorresponding RSSI measurements pairs. The candidate PEDs data structuremay correspond to an N×M table, where the M columns corresponds to thenumber of unique Bluetooth identifiers that is discovered at each of thelocations that are measured, and the N rows corresponds to the number oflocations where RSSI is measured for each of the Bluetooth identifiers.Each of the M column entries are updated to indicate a different one ofthe Bluetooth identifiers that is discovered, and each of the N rowentries is updated to indicate the RSSI measurement for the Bluetoothidentifier at the measurement location.

The SVDU 110 is configured to select the Bluetooth headphones 170 fromamong a list of other Bluetooth PEDs that have been discovered andincluded in the data structure, using a defined relationship for the howmuch the RSSI measurements are expected to fall off as a function ofdistance from the receiving Bluetooth transceiver antenna of the SVDU110. Moving the Bluetooth headphones 110 between five different fixedlocations, enables the SVDU 110 to look for a particular pattern in theamount of change observed in the RSSI measurements as the Bluetoothheadphones 110 are moved to each of the sequence of fixed locations. TheBluetooth headphones 110 can be selected from among the other discoveredPEDs based on identifying a closest match between the amount of changein the RSSI measurements that are observed and what the SVDU 110 expectsto observe based on the known relationship, as explained in furtherdetail below.

FIG. 4 illustrates sequence of views 410 . . . 460 at different six timeinstances as a SVDU commands movement of a PED between defined spacedapart locations to cause an expected change in RSSI measurement patternover the time that is used to select the PED from among discoverablePEDs, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, time instances 410 and 420 correspond to a RSSIcalibration process during which the SVDU determines how much the RSSIchanges as the headphone are moved to three different locations 400,402, and 404. At time instance 410 a crew member is instructed to placethe headphone at location 400 against the SVDU. At another time instance420, the crew member is instructed to move the headphone from location400 along the path 401 to location 402 at the end of the left armrest,and next instructed to move the headphone to location 404 at the end ofthe right armrest. The SVDU performs RSSI measurements at each of thethree locations, and may further perform measurements while theheadphone are moved between the locations, to generate a relationshipthat defines how much the RSSI changes between those locations. The RSSImeasurements and/or a mathematical relationship defining the amount ofchange therebetween, can be stored as part of the calibration processfor future use in identifying a PED that is operated by a passenger whois seated in that passenger seat.

Time instances 430, 440, 450, and 460 correspond to a real timedistance-based challenge response sequence of commands that are providedby the SVDU to a passenger to cause the passenger to move a PED, alsoillustrated as a headphone, between various defined locations while theSVDU performs RSSI measurements of Bluetooth signals received from thePED. In accordance with some embodiments, the SVDU performs RSSImeasurements on Bluetooth Inquiry Messages that are received from thePEDs. Limiting the RSSI measurement process to received Bluetoothinquiry messages can be advantageous, because it limits the search spaceto only Bluetooth identifiers of PEDs that are in a connectionestablishment mode and, thereby, eliminates Bluetooth identifiers ofPEDs that are already connected to another device and not activelyseeking a new or additional Bluetooth connection.

The time instances 430, 440, 450, and 460 may be alternative scenariosthat can be used to command the passenger to move a PED to various onesof the defined locations. Accordingly, it is not necessary that a singleSVDU perform operations of each of those time instances, but insteaddifferent SVDU's along a row of seats may be configured to performdifferent ones of the operations it illustrated in the time instances430, 440, 450, and 460. For example, in a row of four seats, each of theSVDU's in a different one of the seats can be configured to perform theoperations of a different one of the time instances 430, 44, 450, and460.

Alternatively, SVDUs that are adjacent located or each SVDU along a rowmay randomly select among the alternative operational sequence scenarios430-460, or may be configured to use different ones of the operationalsequence scenarios 430-460, to reduce interference each other'soperation that may otherwise result if adjacent SVDUs weresimultaneously operating to command adjacently seated passengers to movePEDs in the same manner. For example, one SVDU could use operationalsequence scenario 430 to select a PED, an adjacent SVDU could useoperational sequence scenario 440 to select a PED; still anotheradjacent SVDU could use operational sequence scenario 450 to select aPED; and still another adjacent SVDU could use operational sequencescenario 460 to select a PED.

Referring to time instance 430, the SVDU instructs the passenger to movethe headphone from location 400 against the SVDU to location 404 at theend of the right armrest. At time instance 440, the SVDU instructs apassenger to move the headphone between location 400 against the SVDU,location 402 at the end of the left armrest, and location 404 at the endof the right armrest. At time instances 450 and 460, one or more SVDUsinstruct a passenger to move the headphone between location 402 at theend of the left armrest, location 404 at the end of the right armrest,and location 406 at the center of the outside seat edge.

The magnitude of the RSSI measurement values changes with a definedrelationship based on changes in the proximity distance between thetransmitting and receiving Bluetooth transceivers, and which can be usedto select a PED from among discoverable PEDs. FIG. 5 is graph of RSSImeasurements of Bluetooth Inquiry Messages received from a PED as afunction of proximity distances from the PED (i.e., Bluetoothtransmitter antenna) to the SVDU (i.e., Bluetooth receiver antenna), andfurther illustrates various thresholds that are used to select the PEDin accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5, the horizontal X axis represents the proximitydistance from the transmitting PED to the receiving SVDU, and thevertical Y axis represents the RSSI measurement values in dBm. It isobserved that the RSSI measurement values 512 rapidly fall off withincreasing proximity distance, and can be grouped into three distinctranges, a near range 500 while the transmitting PED is very close to thereceiving SVDU, an intermediate range 510 while the transmitting PED isfurther away, and a far range 520 when the transmitting PED is stillmore distant. Two threshold values, a near threshold 502 and a farthreshold 522, have been defined, such as through the RSSI calibrationoperation, to distinguish between when the RSSI measurement indicatesthat the proximity distance is within the near range 500, within the farrange 520, or somewhere within the intermediate range 510.

For example, a RSSI measurement from a PED that is greater than the nearthreshold 502 is determined to be located within the near range 500. Incontrast, another RSSI measurement from the PED that is less than thenear threshold 502 but greater than the far threshold 522 is determinedto be located within the intermediate range 510. Similarly, another RSSImeasurement from the PED that is less than the near threshold 502 andless than the far threshold 522 is determined to be located within thefar range 520.

Accordingly, the SVDU can classify the PED's location as being withinone of three proximate distance bins, i.e., near range, intermediaterange, or far range, for each of the different locations where RSSImeasurements are performed, and then match the change between distancebins to the expected changes that should occur as that PED is commandedto move to different locations that are within two or more of differentones of those ranges (e.g., look for a pattern of movement from alocation that is near range, then another location that is far range,and then another location that is intermediate range).

The Bluetooth antenna that is used by a SVDU may have a directional gainpattern that can be used to select a PED from among discoverable PEDs.FIG. 6 is graph of RSSI measurements of Bluetooth Inquiry Messagesreceived from a PED as a function of lateral offset distance from astrongest gain direction of an antenna directional gain pattern of aBluetooth antenna used by a SVDU, and further illustrates variousthresholds that are used to select the PED in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6, the horizontal X axis represents the lateral offsetdistance from the strongest gain direction of the antenna directionalgain pattern of the receiving Bluetooth, and the vertical Y axisrepresents the RSSI measurement values in dBm. The illustrated graph maycorrespond to measurements that occur while a PED that is adjacent to aupper right corner of the SVDU housing is then slid across a centrallocation of the housing where the Bluetooth antenna is located and thencontinue to be slid to an upper left corner of the SVDU housing. It isobserved that the RSSI measurement values 612 rapidly rise up to amaximum as the transmitting antenna of the PED becomes aligned with thestrongest gain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern of thereceiving antenna for the SVDU, and then rapidly falls off withincreasing lateral offset distance.

The lateral locations of the PED relative to the SVDU can be similarlygrouped into three distinct ranges, a near range 600 while thetransmitting PED is very close to being aligned with the strongest gaindirection of the antenna directional gain pattern of the receivingintent of the SVDU, an intermediate range 610 while the transmitting PEDis further laterally offset from the strongest gain direction of theantenna directional gain pattern, and a far range 620 when thetransmitting PED is still further laterally offset. Two thresholdvalues, a near threshold 602 and a far threshold 622, have been defined,such as through the RSSI calibration operation, to distinguish betweenwhen the RSSI measurement indicates that the lateral offset distance iswithin the near range 600, within the far range 620, or somewhere withinthe intermediate range 610.

For example, a RSSI measurement from a PED that is greater than the nearthreshold 602 is determined to be located within the near range 600. Incontrast, another RSSI measurement from the PED that is less than thenear threshold 602 but greater than the far threshold 622 is determinedto be located within the intermediate range 610. Similarly, another RSSImeasurement from the PED that is less than the near threshold 602 andless than the far threshold 622 is determined to be located within thefar range 620.

Accordingly, the SVDU can classify the PED's location as being withinone of three lateral distance bins, i.e., near range, intermediaterange, or far range, for each of the different locations where RSSImeasurements are performed. The SVDU can then match the change betweenlateral distance bins to the expected changes that should occur as thatPED is commanded to move laterally across the face of the SVDU todifferent locations that are within two or more of different ones ofthose ranges. For example, when the PED is slid from an upper rightcorner to an upper left corner of the SVDU housing, and when thereceiving Bluetooth antenna for the SVDU is centrally located behind thehousing, the SVDU can identify the PED based on observing from the RSSImeasurements that the Bluetooth identifier for the PED has a pattern ofmotion of: 1) far range; 2) intermediate range; 3) near range; 4)intermediate range; and 5) far range.

The operations of FIGS. 5 and 6 can be combined, with the SVDU lookingfor an expected pattern of proximity distance changes over time betweenthe transmitting PED and receiving SVU and further look for an expectedpattern of lateral offset distance changes over time between thetransmitting pad and a strongest gain direction of the receivingBluetooth antenna of the SVDU.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of operations and methods that can be performed bya processor of a SVDU to select a PED from among discoverable PEDs inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, the operations include displaying (block 700) afirst message on a display device of the SVDU instructing a passenger tomove a PED to a first location. A list is generated (block 702) ofBluetooth identifiers of PEDs that are discovered through the Bluetoothtransceiver of the SVDU. The operations repeat (block 704) for each ofthe Bluetooth identifiers in the list, to generate (block 706) a firstRSSI from measurement of at least one radio signal received from the PEDhaving the Bluetooth identifier, and to update (block 708) a candidatePEDs data structure to comprise a paired association between theBluetooth identifier and the first RSSI measured for the at least oneradio signal received from the PED having the Bluetooth identifier.

Following the updating (block 708) of the candidate PEDs data structure,a second message is displayed (block 710) on the display device of theSVDU instructing the passenger to move the PED to a second location thatis spaced apart from the first location. The operations repeat (block712) for each of the Bluetooth identifiers in the list that is stilldiscoverable through the Bluetooth transceiver, to generate (block 714)a second RSSI from measurement of at least one radio signal receivedfrom the PED having the Bluetooth identifier, and to update (block 716)the candidate PEDs data structure to further associate the Bluetoothidentifier to the second received signal strength indication measuredfor the at least one radio signal received from the Bluetooth devicehaving the Bluetooth identifier.

One of the Bluetooth identifiers is selected (block 718) that satisfiesa defined rule for an amount of change determined between the first andsecond received signal strength indications that are associated via thecandidate PEDs data structure with the one of the Bluetooth identifiersin the list. Responsive to the selection, a connection is established(block 720) through the Bluetooth transceiver with a Bluetoothtransceiver of the PED having the selected one of the Bluetoothidentifiers.

Establishment of the connection may be performed by displaying theselected Bluetooth identifier by itself for confirmation by thepassenger in order to initiate operations to establish the Bluetoothconnection. Alternatively, the selected Bluetooth identifier may be moreprominently displayed (e.g., displayed at the top of a list of Bluetoothidentifiers and/or displayed with a larger font, with an associatedgraphical indicia to emphasize its presence, etc.) for confirmation bythe passenger in order to initiate operations to establish the Bluetoothconnection. Still alternatively, the SVDU may automatically initiateoperations to establish the Bluetooth connection without precondition ofany receipt of further input from the passenger.

The SVDU may operate to generate (blocks 706 and 714) the first andsecond received signal strength indications from signal strengthsmeasurements of only Bluetooth Inquiry Messages that are received fromthe PEDs. Limiting the RSSI measurement process to received Bluetoothinquiry messages can be advantageous, because it limits the search spaceto only Bluetooth identifiers of PEDs that are in a connectionestablishment mode and, thereby, eliminates Bluetooth identifiers ofPEDs that are already connected to another device and not activelyseeking a new or additional Bluetooth connection.

In some embodiments, the operations select (block 718) the one of theBluetooth identifiers based on the amount of change satisfying a definedrelationship between a far-range received signal strength and anear-range received signal strength that are expected to be receivedfrom the one of the Bluetooth identifiers that is moved between thefirst and second locations by the passenger responsive to the displayedfirst and second messages.

Operations by the SVDU can further include a calibration operationalmode, during which the SVDU determines a near-range threshold valuebased on a mathematical combination of measurements of radio signalssequentially received over time from a test PED located at one of thefirst and second locations, determines a far-range threshold value basedon a mathematical combination of measurements of radio signalssequentially received over time from the test PED located at the otherone of the first and second locations, and then generates the definedrelationship based on the near-range threshold value and the far-rangethreshold value.

As explained above, the SVDU can operate to display (block 700) thefirst message displayed on the display device to instruct the passengerto move the PED adjacent to a location defined on one of: 1) a vehicleseat of the passenger; and 2) the display device. The second messagethat is displayed (block 710) on the display device can instruct thepassenger to move the PED adjacent to another location defined on theother one of: 1) the vehicle seat of the passenger; and 2) the displaydevice. These operations have been explained above in the context of,for example, FIGS. 3 and 4.

The operations for selecting (block 718) one of the Bluetoothidentifiers that satisfies the defined rule, can include, performingoperations for each of at least some of the Bluetooth identifiers in thecandidate PEDs data structure, to generate a normalized received signalstrength indication based on dividing the second received signalstrength indication by the first received signal strength indication,and to determine whether the normalized received signal strengthindication satisfies the defined rule. The operation for determiningwhether the normalized received signal strength indication satisfies thedefined rule, may include comparing a threshold value (e.g., the nearthreshold 502 and the far threshold 522 of FIG. 5 and/or the nearthreshold 602 and the far threshold 622 of FIG. 6) to the normalizedreceived signal strengths generated for each of the at least some of theBluetooth identifiers in the candidate PEDs data structure. Theoperations selecting (block 718) the one of the Bluetooth identifiersfrom among the at least some of the Bluetooth identifiers in thecandidate PEDs data structure, can be based on the one of the Bluetoothidentifiers having the closest normalized received signal strength tothe threshold value. Thus, for example, the SVDU may select the PED fromamong candidate PEDs that has the pattern of changes in the measuredRSSIs to what is expected to be observed as the PED is moved by apassenger between defined locations.

As explained above, a PED can be selected based on observing the effectof lateral offset distance from a strongest gain direction of an antennadirectional gain pattern of a Bluetooth antenna used by a SVDU on themeasured RSSI of Bluetooth signaling from the PED. Accordingly, theselecting operations can include selecting (block 718) the one of theBluetooth identifiers based on the amount of change satisfying a definedrelationship between drop-off in received signal strength that isexpected to be received from the one of the Bluetooth identifiers thatis moved by the passenger from one of the first and second locationsthat is aligned with a strongest gain direction of an antennadirectional gain pattern of a Bluetooth antenna used by the Bluetoothtransceiver to another one of the first and second locations that islaterally offset to a side of the strongest gain direction of theantenna directional gain pattern, responsive to the displayed first andsecond messages.

Operations by the SVDU can further include a calibration operationalmode to calibrate the relationship for how much the RSSI values changewith lateral offset distance of the transmitting pad from a strongestgain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern of the Bluetoothantenna used by the SVDU. Responsive to initiation of the calibrationoperational mode, a near-field threshold value is determined based on amathematical combination of measurements of radio signals sequentiallyreceived over time from a test PED located at the one of the first andsecond locations aligned with the strongest gain direction of theantenna directional gain pattern. A far-field threshold value isdetermined based on a mathematical combination of measurements of radiosignals sequentially received over time from the test PED located at theother one of the first and second locations laterally offset to the sideof the strongest gain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern.The defined relationship, which is used during the selection (block718), is generated based on the near-range threshold value and thefar-range threshold value.

For example, the SVDU can display (block 700) the first message on thedisplay device can instruct the passenger to move the PED adjacent toone of: 1) a location that is displayed on the display device or printedon a housing of the display device, that is aligned with the strongestgain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern; and 2) anotherlocation that is displayed on the display device or printed on thehousing of the display device, that is laterally offset to the side ofthe strongest gain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern.The second message that is displayed (block 710) on the display devicecan instruct the passenger to move the PED sideways to be adjacent tothe other one of the locations that is displayed on the display deviceor printed on the housing of the display device. The SVDU can then usethe observed changes in the RSSI values as the PED is laterally movedacross the antenna gain pattern, to select the Bluetooth identifier ofthe PED from among other discovered Bluetooth identifiers of other PEDs.

In one embodiment, the SVDU can temporarily increase the directionalsensitivity of the antenna to facilitate selection of a PED. Forexample, during the operations to measure (block 706 and 714) the firstand second RSSI from radio signals received from the PEDs, the SVDU cancontrol a variable gain circuit of the receiving Bluetooth antenna tomaintain an increased relative difference between gains provided by theposition aligned with the strongest gain direction of the antennadirectional gain pattern and the other position laterally offset to theside of the strongest gain direction of the antenna directional gainpattern. In contrast, after the connection has been established (block720) with the PED and remains established, the SVDU can control thevariable gain circuit of the Bluetooth antenna to maintain a reduceddifference between gains provided by the position aligned with thestrongest gain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern and theother position laterally offset to the side of the strongest gaindirection of the antenna directional gain pattern. Providing a moreomnidirectional antenna directional gain pattern after the connectionhas been established may advantageously provide a more robust Bluetoothcommunication channel as the PED is potentially moved through a widerange of spatial positions that are within the arms reach of a passengerwho is seated or moving about while holding the SVDU.

As explained above, although various embodiments are described in thecontext of an in-flight entertainment system, they are not limitedthereto. Accordingly, although various operations have been described asbeing performed by a SVDU, they may instead be performed by otherelectronic devices and, more particularly, by one or more processorswithin such electronic devices. Similarly, although various otheroperations have been described as being performed by a PED, they mayinstead be performed by other types of electronic devices and, moreparticularly, by one or more processors within such electronic devices.For example, operations disclosed herein may be used to establish aBluetooth connection between, without limitation, two cellular phones,between a tablet computer and a Bluetooth headphone, between a displaydevice and a mobile wireless terminal, between a vehicle communicationsystem and a mobile wireless terminal transported by a passenger, etc.

FIG. 8 is a combined dataflow diagram and flowchart of operations andmethods by a SVDU and a PED to establish a Bluetooth connection throughrespective Bluetooth transceivers in accordance with some embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, the SVDU is initially in a standby state 802 inwhich it's Bluetooth transceiver is not connected to a PED. SVDU sets806 a timer and initiates inquiry operations 808 to discover Bluetoothsignaling from PEDs that are within receiver range. The SVDU cantransmit advertisements 809 through Bluetooth signaling via a localaccess Bluetooth scatternet 805, for receipt by PEDs. The SVDU 810 thenperforms operations 810 to discover and select a PED from among thediscovered PEDs, to which a Bluetooth connection is to be established.The SVDU performs proximity-based range detection and RSSI-based codingconstellation determination 814 based on Bluetooth Inquiry Messages 815,by a Bluetooth signaling through the local access Bluetooth scatternet805, that are received from the PEDs. The SVDU performs theInquirer/initiator challenge-handshake operations 812 explained aboveFIGS. 4 and 7 to display commands instructing a passenger to move a PEDto a plurality of defined locations.

The SVDU selects one of the PEDs based on operations described above,and responsive to the PED continuing to seek a connection (e.g.,receiving an inquiry challenge 818) performs operations 820 to connectto the PED, such as by transmitting a connection request 821 to the PED.In contrast, when the PED is not continuing to seek a connection, theSVDU may selectively 816 decide to stop the connection process in returnto standby state 802, or return to the discovery operations 808 togenerate a new list of PEDs that are seeking connections.

Corresponding operations that can be performed by a PED will now bedescribed with regard to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 to the right ofthe local access Bluetooth scatter net 805. The PED is initially in astandby state 804 in which it's Bluetooth transceiver is not connectedto a SVDU. The PED sets a backoff timer 830, and performs operations 832to scan for SVDU Bluetooth advertisements (e.g., perform an inquiry scanfor connection to a SVDU). The PED determines 834 whether it hasreceived an inquiry packet among the advertisements received from SVDUsand, if not, it determines 836 whether it should stop scanning andreturn to the standby state 804 or, instead, repeat operations to scanfor receipt 832 of further advertisements.

When an inquiry packet has been received 834 from a SVDU, the PED thenperforms the corresponding PED operations 838 to support thepassenger-user controlled proximity challenge-response operations 842 ofFIGS. 4 and 7, and then to initiate 840 a connection to a SVDU, e.g., bytransmitting Bluetooth Inquiry Messages for receipt by a SVDU. The PEDthen performs operations 844 to connect to the SVDU, including byreceiving a connection request 821 from the SVDU.

FIG. 9 is a combined dataflow diagram and flowchart of operations andmethods by a SVDU and a PED to establish a Bluetooth connection throughrespective Bluetooth transceivers in accordance with some embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

A determination 902 is made that a Bluetooth device connection requesthas been received and, responsively, the SVDU requests 904 (e.g., bydisplaying instructions to the passenger) the target Bluetooth PED(device) be placed near the SVDU to provide a near range RSSImeasurement of the PED. The passenger reads the displayed instructionsand responsively places 922 the Bluetooth PED at the requested locationnear the SVDU.

The SVDU generates 906 a “fingerprint” identification for all of thediscoverable Bluetooth PEDs, which can include a list of their Bluetoothidentifiers and corresponding RSSI measurement values. The SVDU thenrequests 908 (e.g., by displaying instructions of a passenger) that theBluetooth had be placed on the seat armrests, so as to provide a farrange RSSI measurement of the PED. The passenger reads the displayedinstructions and responsively places 924 the Bluetooth PED at therequested location near the seat armrest.

The SVDU can perform operations 910 to calibrate the Bluetooth deviceRSSI values. The SVDU can then request 912 the passenger to move theBluetooth PED to one or more defined locations relative to the seatand/or the SVDU so as to form an authentication challenge to identifythe PED. The passenger responsively moves 926 the Bluetooth PED to therequested one or more defined locations.

The SVDU determines 918 whether the RSSI values measured for one of themonitored Bluetooth PEDs has a pattern of changes over time thatcorresponds to what the SVDU expects to observe as the passenger movesthe Bluetooth PED to the various defined locations. If a sufficientcorrespondence is determined 916 to be identified, the SVDU selects thetarget Bluetooth PED and performs operations 914 to completeestablishment of a Bluetooth connection to the target Bluetooth PED.

Example SVDU or Other Bluetooth Electronic Device

FIG. 10 illustrates a SVDU or other electronic device 1000 that isconfigured to operate according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. The electronic device 1000 includes at least one processorcircuit 1002 (referred to as a processor for brevity), at least onememory circuit 1010 (referred to as a memory for brevity), a Bluetoothtransceiver 1020, and a display device 1040 (e.g., graphical displaydevice that may include a touch sensitive display). The electronicdevice 1000 may further include a user input interface 1050 (e.g.,keypad, buttons, touch sensitive interface, etc.) and/or an Ethernet orother wired network interface 1030. The Bluetooth transceiver 1020transmits and receives through a Bluetooth antenna 1022, which may havea variable gain circuit that can be controlled by the processor tocontrol the antenna directional gain pattern.

The processor 1002 may include one or more data processing circuits,such as a general purpose and/or special purpose processor (e.g.,microprocessor and/or digital signal processor) that may be collocatedor distributed across one or more networks. The processor 1002 isconfigured to execute computer program code in the memory 1010,described below as a non-transitory computer readable medium, to performat least some of the operations described herein as being performed by aSVDU or other Bluetooth electronic device. The computer program codewhen executed by the processor 1002 causes the processor 1002 to performoperations in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed hereinfor the SVDUs or other Bluetooth electronic devices disclosed herein.

Further Definitions and Embodiments

In the above-description of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, aspects of the present disclosure may be illustrated anddescribed herein in any of a number of patentable classes or contextsincluding any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, orcomposition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented inentirely hardware, entirely software (including firmware, residentsoftware, micro-code, etc.) or combining software and hardwareimplementation that may all generally be referred to herein as a“circuit,” “module,” “component,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects ofthe present disclosure may take the form of a computer program productcomprising one or more computer readable media having computer readableprogram code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable media may be used. Thecomputer readable media may be a computer readable signal medium or acomputer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium maybe, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical,electromagnetic, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or anysuitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (anon-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium wouldinclude the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an appropriateoptical fiber with a repeater, a portable compact disc read-only memory(CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or anysuitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document,a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that cancontain, or store a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program codeembodied on a computer readable signal medium may be transmitted usingany appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline,optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of theforegoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent disclosure may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Scala, Smalltalk, Eiffel, JADE, Emerald, C++, C#, VB.NET,Python or the like, conventional procedural programming languages, suchas the “C” programming language, Visual Basic, Fortran 2003, Perl, COBOL2002, PHP, ABAP, dynamic programming languages such as Python, Ruby andGroovy, or other programming languages. The program code may executeentirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as astand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partlyon a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Inthe latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user'scomputer through any type of network, including a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to anexternal computer (for example, through the Internet using an InternetService Provider) or in a cloud computing environment or offered as aservice such as a Software as a Service (SaaS).

Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of thedisclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable instruction executionapparatus, create a mechanism for implementing the functions/actsspecified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that when executed can direct a computer, otherprogrammable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function ina particular manner, such that the instructions when stored in thecomputer readable medium produce an article of manufacture includinginstructions which when executed, cause a computer to implement thefunction/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable instruction execution apparatus, or otherdevices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on thecomputer, other programmable apparatuses or other devices to produce acomputer implemented process such that the instructions which execute onthe computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for thepurpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended tobe limiting of the invention. Unless otherwise defined, all terms(including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the samemeaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art towhich this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms,such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should beinterpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning inthe context of this specification and the relevant art and will not beinterpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly sodefined herein.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousaspects of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularaspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or”includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associatedlisted items. Like reference numbers signify like elements throughoutthe description of the figures.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of anymeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any disclosed structure, material, or act for performing thefunction in combination with other claimed elements as specificallyclaimed. The description of the present disclosure has been presentedfor purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to beexhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of thedisclosure. The aspects of the disclosure herein were chosen anddescribed in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure andthe practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in theart to understand the disclosure with various modifications as aresuited to the particular use contemplated.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A vehicle entertainment system for use in avehicle, the vehicle entertainment system comprising: a display device;a Bluetooth transceiver; at least one processor connected to theBluetooth transceiver and the display device; and at least one memoryconnected to the at least one processor and storing program code that isexecuted by the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:displaying a first message on the display device instructing a passengerto move a passenger electronic device (PED) to a first location;generating a list of Bluetooth identifiers of PEDs that are discoveredthrough the Bluetooth transceiver; for each of the Bluetooth identifiersin the list, generating a first received signal strength indication frommeasurement of at least one radio signal received from the PED havingthe Bluetooth identifier, and updating a candidate PEDs data structureto comprise a paired association between the Bluetooth identifier andthe first received signal strength indication measured for the at leastone radio signal received from the PED having the Bluetooth identifier;following the updating of the candidate PEDs data structure, displayinga second message on the display device instructing the passenger to movethe PED to a second location that is spaced apart from the firstlocation; for each of the Bluetooth identifiers in the list that isstill discoverable through the Bluetooth transceiver, generating asecond received signal strength indication from measurement of at leastone radio signal received from the PED having the Bluetooth identifier,and updating the candidate PEDs data structure to further associate theBluetooth identifier to the second received signal strength indicationmeasured for the at least one radio signal received from the Bluetoothdevice having the Bluetooth identifier.
 2. The vehicle entertainmentsystem of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: generatingthe first and second received signal strength indications from signalstrengths measurements of only Bluetooth Inquiry Messages that arereceived from the PEDs.
 3. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 1,wherein: the one of the Bluetooth identifiers is selected based on theamount of change satisfying a defined relationship between a far-rangereceived signal strength and a near-range received signal strength thatare expected to be received from the one of the Bluetooth identifiersthat is moved between the first and second locations by the passengerresponsive to the displayed first and second messages.
 4. The vehicleentertainment system of claim 3, wherein the operations furthercomprise: responsive to initiation of a calibration operational mode,determining a near-range threshold value based on a mathematicalcombination of measurements of radio signals sequentially received overtime from a test PED located at one of the first and second locations;determining a far-range threshold value based on a mathematicalcombination of measurements of radio signals sequentially received overtime from the test PED located at the other one of the first and secondlocations; and generating the defined relationship based on thenear-range threshold value and the far-range threshold value.
 5. Thevehicle entertainment system of claim 3, wherein: the first messagedisplayed on the display device instructs the passenger to move the PEDadjacent to a location defined on one of: 1) a vehicle seat of thepassenger; and 2) the display device; the second message displayed onthe display device instructs the passenger to move the PED adjacent toanother location defined on the other one of: 1) the vehicle seat of thepassenger; and 2) the display device.
 6. The vehicle entertainmentsystem of claim 1, wherein the operation for selecting one of theBluetooth identifiers that satisfies the defined rule, comprises: foreach of at least some of the Bluetooth identifiers in the candidate PEDsdata structure, generating a normalized received signal strengthindication based on dividing the second received signal strengthindication by the first received signal strength indication; anddetermining whether the normalized received signal strength indicationsatisfies the defined rule.
 7. The vehicle entertainment system of claim6, wherein the operation for determining whether the normalized receivedsignal strength indication satisfies the defined rule, comprises:comparing a threshold value to the normalized received signal strengthsgenerated for each of the at least some of the Bluetooth identifiers inthe candidate PEDs data structure; and selecting the one of theBluetooth identifiers from among the at least some of the Bluetoothidentifiers in the candidate PEDs data structure, based on the one ofthe Bluetooth identifiers having the closest normalized received signalstrength to the threshold value.
 8. The vehicle entertainment system ofclaim 1, wherein: the one of the Bluetooth identifiers is selected basedon the amount of change satisfying a defined relationship betweendrop-off in received signal strength that is expected to be receivedfrom the one of the Bluetooth identifiers that is moved by the passengerfrom one of the first and second locations that is aligned with astrongest gain direction of an antenna directional gain pattern of aBluetooth antenna used by the Bluetooth transceiver to another one ofthe first and second locations that is laterally offset to a side of thestrongest gain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern,responsive to the displayed first and second messages.
 9. The vehicleentertainment system of claim 8, wherein the operations furthercomprise: responsive to initiation of a calibration operational mode,determining a near-field threshold value based on a mathematicalcombination of measurements of radio signals sequentially received overtime from a test PED located at the one of the first and secondlocations aligned with the strongest gain direction of the antennadirectional gain pattern; determining a far-field threshold value basedon a mathematical combination of measurements of radio signalssequentially received over time from the test PED located at the otherone of the first and second locations laterally offset to the side ofthe strongest gain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern;and generating the defined relationship based on the near-rangethreshold value and the far-range threshold value.
 10. The vehicleentertainment system of claim 8, wherein: the first message displayed onthe display device instructs the passenger to move the PED adjacent toone of: 1) a location that is displayed on the display device or printedon a housing of the display device, that is aligned with the strongestgain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern; and 2) anotherlocation that is displayed on the display device or printed on thehousing of the display device, that is laterally offset to the side ofthe strongest gain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern;and the second message displayed on the display device instructs thepassenger to move the PED sideways to be adjacent to the other one ofthe locations that is displayed on the display device or printed on thehousing of the display device.
 11. The vehicle entertainment system ofclaim 8, wherein the operations further comprise: during the operationsto measure the first and second received signal strength indicationsfrom radio signals received from the PEDs, controlling a variable gaincircuit of the Bluetooth antenna to maintain an increased relativedifference between gains provided by the position aligned with thestrongest gain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern and theother position laterally offset to the side of the strongest gaindirection of the antenna directional gain pattern; and while theconnection is maintained through the Bluetooth transceiver with theBluetooth transceiver of the PED, controlling the variable gain circuitof the Bluetooth antenna to maintain a reduced difference between gainsprovided by the position aligned with the strongest gain direction ofthe antenna directional gain pattern and the other position laterallyoffset to the side of the strongest gain direction of the antennadirectional gain pattern.
 12. An entertainment system comprising: adisplay device; a Bluetooth transceiver; at least one processorconnected to the Bluetooth transceiver and the display device; and atleast one memory connected to the at least one processor and storingprogram code that is executed by the at least one processor to performoperations comprising: displaying a first message on the display deviceinstructing a user to move an electronic device (ED) to a firstlocation; generating a list of Bluetooth identifiers of EDs that arediscovered through the Bluetooth transceiver; for each of the Bluetoothidentifiers in the list, generating a first received signal strengthindication from measurement of at least one radio signal received fromthe ED having the Bluetooth identifier, and updating a candidate EDsdata structure to comprise a paired association between the Bluetoothidentifier and the first received signal strength indication measuredfor the at least one radio signal received from the ED having theBluetooth identifier; following the updating of the candidate EDs datastructure, displaying a second message on the display device instructingthe user to move the ED to a second location that is spaced apart fromthe first location; for each of the Bluetooth identifiers in the listthat is still discoverable through the Bluetooth transceiver, generatinga second received signal strength indication from measurement of atleast one radio signal received from the ED having the Bluetoothidentifier, and updating the candidate EDs data structure to furtherassociate the Bluetooth identifier to the second received signalstrength indication measured for the at least one radio signal receivedfrom the Bluetooth device having the Bluetooth identifier; selecting oneof the Bluetooth identifiers that satisfies a defined rule for an amountof change determined between the first and second received signalstrength indications that are associated via the candidate EDs datastructure with the one of the Bluetooth identifiers in the list; andresponsive to the selection, establishing a connection through theBluetooth transceiver with a Bluetooth transceiver of the ED having theselected one of the Bluetooth identifiers.
 13. The entertainment systemof claim 12, wherein: the one of the Bluetooth identifiers is selectedbased on the amount of change satisfying a defined relationship betweena far-range received signal strength and a near-range received signalstrength that are expected to be received from the one of the Bluetoothidentifiers that is moved between the first and second locations by theuser responsive to the displayed first and second messages.
 14. Theentertainment system of claim 12, wherein the operation for selectingone of the Bluetooth identifiers that satisfies the defined rule,comprises: for each of at least some of the Bluetooth identifiers in thecandidate EDs data structure, generating a normalized received signalstrength indication based on dividing the second received signalstrength indication by the first received signal strength indication;and determining whether the normalized received signal strengthindication satisfies the defined rule.
 15. The entertainment system ofclaim 12, wherein: the one of the Bluetooth identifiers is selectedbased on the amount of change satisfying a defined relationship betweendrop-off in received signal strength that is expected to be receivedfrom the one of the Bluetooth identifiers that is moved by the user fromone of the first and second locations that is aligned with a strongestgain direction of an antenna directional gain pattern of a Bluetoothantenna used by the Bluetooth transceiver to another one of the firstand second locations that is laterally offset to a side of the strongestgain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern, responsive tothe displayed first and second messages.
 16. The entertainment system ofclaim 12, wherein the operations further comprise: responsive toinitiation of a calibration operational mode, determining a near-fieldthreshold value based on a mathematical combination of measurements ofradio signals sequentially received over time from a test ED located atthe one of the first and second locations aligned with the strongestgain direction of the antenna directional gain pattern; determining afar-field threshold value based on a mathematical combination ofmeasurements of radio signals sequentially received over time from thetest ED located at the other one of the first and second locationslaterally offset to the side of the strongest gain direction of theantenna directional gain pattern; and generating the definedrelationship based on the near-range threshold value and the far-rangethreshold value.
 17. An electronic device comprising: a Bluetoothtransceiver; at least one processor connected to the Bluetoothtransceiver at least one memory connected to the at least one processorand storing program code that is executed by the at least one processorto perform operations comprising: responsive to detecting occurrence ofa first operational event, generating a list of Bluetooth identifiers ofother electronic devices (EDs) that are discovered through the Bluetoothtransceiver, for each of the Bluetooth identifiers in the list,generating a first received signal strength indication from measurementof at least one radio signal received from the ED having the Bluetoothidentifier, and updating a candidate EDs data structure to comprise apaired association between the Bluetooth identifier and the firstreceived signal strength indication measured for the at least one radiosignal received from the ED having the Bluetooth identifier; followingthe updating of the candidate EDs data structure and responsive todetecting occurrence of a second operational event; for each of theBluetooth identifiers in the list that is still discoverable through theBluetooth transceiver, generating a second received signal strengthindication from measurement of at least one radio signal received fromthe ED having the Bluetooth identifier, and updating the candidate EDsdata structure to further associate the Bluetooth identifier to thesecond received signal strength indication measured for the at least oneradio signal received from the Bluetooth device having the Bluetoothidentifier; selecting one of the Bluetooth identifiers that satisfies adefined rule for an amount of change determined between the first andsecond received signal strength indications that are associated via thecandidate EDs data structure with the one of the Bluetooth identifiersin the list; and responsive to the selection, establishing a connectionthrough the Bluetooth transceiver with a Bluetooth transceiver of the EDhaving the selected one of the Bluetooth identifiers.
 18. The electronicdevice of claim 17, wherein: the one of the Bluetooth identifiers isselected based on the amount of change satisfying a defined relationshipbetween a far-range received signal strength and a near-range receivedsignal strength that are expected to be received from the one of theBluetooth identifiers that is moved between spaced apart first andsecond locations by a user.
 19. The electronic device of claim 17,wherein the operation for selecting one of the Bluetooth identifiersthat satisfies the defined rule, comprises: for each of at least some ofthe Bluetooth identifiers in the candidate EDs data structure,generating a normalized received signal strength indication based ondividing the second received signal strength indication by the firstreceived signal strength indication; and determining whether thenormalized received signal strength indication satisfies the definedrule.
 20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein: the one of theBluetooth identifiers is selected based on the amount of changesatisfying a defined relationship between drop-off in received signalstrength that is expected to be received from the one of the Bluetoothidentifiers that is moved from a location that is aligned with astrongest gain direction of an antenna directional gain pattern of aBluetooth antenna used by the Bluetooth transceiver to another spacedapart location that is laterally offset to a side of the strongest gaindirection of the antenna directional gain pattern.
 21. The electronicdevice of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise: responsiveto initiation of a calibration operational mode, determining anear-field threshold value based on a mathematical combination ofmeasurements of radio signals sequentially received over time from atest ED located at a location that is aligned with the strongest gaindirection of the antenna directional gain pattern; determining afar-field threshold value based on a mathematical combination ofmeasurements of radio signals sequentially received over time from thetest ED located at another spaced apart location that is laterallyoffset to the side of the strongest gain direction of the antennadirectional gain pattern; and generating the defined relationship basedon the near-range threshold value and the far-range threshold value.